Cigarette case with flexible tongue



May 1l, 1948. R. E. MUDD 2,441,326

CIGARETTE CASE WITH FLEXIBL TONGUE Filed March 26, 1945 am zg/m1@ A'ITDRN EYS Patented May 11,*.1948

rUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE CASE WITH FLEXIBLE TONGUE RollaE. Mudd, Stronghurst, Ill.

Application March 26, 1945, Serial No. 584,909

1 Claim. 1

My present invention, in its broad aspect, has to do with improvementsin `cigarette cases, and more particularly, it is my purpose to providea flexible package holding tongue for use with cigarette cases havingordinary strap or bar hinge connections between the body and the lidwhereby bending of a part of the hinge connection about the butt of mytongue will hold the tongue in operative connection with the case, andwherein the tongue is inherently flexible and operable to permit a packof cigarettes to assume a convenient position for removal of theindividual cigarettes, but which will not accidentally release the pack.My invention is characterized by extreme simplicity, sturdiness andpracticability, and may be manufactured and sold at a relatively smallprice.

Other and equally important objects and advantages of my invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, but itis to be understood that changes in form,

size, shape, construction, materials, and arrange-4 ner to iit over theupper edge of the body when closed as in Figure 3, and ycooperatingoutstruck lips 3 and 4 are provided to latch the top in closed positionso that pressure by the thumb or the like will disengage lips 3 and 4 toopen the case, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4.

The hinge connections 5 and 6 between the top and body of the cigarettecase are conventional strap or bar hinges, between which the edges ofthe case form webs I having a lip 8. The edges or webs are bent inwardlyas at 9 for a part of their length as shown in Figures 2 and 7.

My tongue `for retaining cigarette packages includes a flexible part Illextending about half the width of the cigarette case, as shown inFigures 1 and 2, and a butt II formed by bending the tongue downwardlyand upwardly upon itself as at I2. The end of the butt is bent over toform an attaching ilange I3 and. the bight bement of parts may be madewithout departing from my broad inventive concept or the scope of theappended claim.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of myinvention:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section with the cigarette case in openposition;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a transverse section with the cigarette case closed;

Figure 4 is a transverse section with the case partly open to remove acigarette;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the attaching clip on thebutt of my tongue;

Figure 7 is a perspective View of my tongue;

Figure 8 is a section through the cigarette case hinge showing my tongueconnected thereto; and

Figure 9 is another section through the hinge.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference are used todesignate like or similar parts throughout the several views:

The numeral I designates the body of my cigarette case which may beformed of -any suitable material, such for instance as thin metal, and Zis the top. The top is flanged in the usual mantween the butt and theflange is formed with a slot I4 to receive the lip 8; the lip 8 is bentover on the llange to hold the tongue in position with the butt bearingagainst the back wall I5 of the body I and the tongue extending out at aslight angle as shown in Figure 1.

In operation, a package of cigarettes A is inserted under the tongueafter being partially or fully opened to dispense cigarettes. The tongueholds the package in place against accidental disengagement, but whenthe oase is partly opened and reversed with the top extending downwardlyas shown in Figure 4 and shaken, the package takes a slight angularposition to discharge one or more cigarettes B as required.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the oper-ation and advantages ofmy invention will be apparent, but it is again emphasized thatinterpretation of the scope of my invention should only be conclusivewhen made in the light of the subjoined claim.

I claim:

A cigarette case comprising a body portion having an upstandingperipheral flange, a top hingedly connected to the flange of said bodyportion, latch means on said body portion formed `to be exed to engageand disengage the same, a preformed flexible plate member detachablymounted on the flange, said mounting means being formed having one endof the plate bent upon itself to form an S-shaped clamp which '4 engagesthe flange of the body portion, the plate joining the S-shaped portionsubstantially in the UNITED STATES PATENTS plane of the free edge of theflange and normally Number Name Date extending outwardly at an anglethereto and 872,162 WeSSenthanner NOV- 26, 1907 adapted to be engaged bysaid top when said top 5 1,235,572 Karp Aug. 7, 1917 is in closedposition to be moved into parallel 1,536,570 Denny May 5, 1925 relationwith said body portion.

ROI-ILA E. MUDD FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date REFERENCES CITED 10402,659 Great Britain DBC. '7, 1933 The following references are ofrecord in the le of this patent:

